In his piece on stealth authoritarianism, Ozan Varol outlines some of the most common ways that democracies breakdown quietly. According to Freedom House’s last report on Bolivia, their “partly free” rating has been on a downward trend as Morales and his party continue to limit political and civil rights. In order to understand just how important Morales running for a fourth term is to the sanctity of Bolivian democracy, it is critical to observe all of the other ways in which democracy has been eroding in the country. While there is the possibility that he chooses not to run, it would appear as of now that he is still very much in the race. Protests have begun to pop up across the country, calling for Morales to step down after his term expires in 2020 and allow others to run for election. Now, the public is taking a stand against Morales and his undemocratic aims. Unsurprisingly, the regime-friendly courts ruled in his favor, essentially overruling the constitution and eliminating presidential term limits. Near the end of 2017 Morales took the issue to the highest court in Bolivia, claiming that a term limit went against his “human rights” and the political freedoms of those who wanted to vote for him again. That being said, continued political engagement and protest by citizens could potentially check this power moving forward, as well as attract international attention that could dissuade Morales from any additional blows against democracy.īolivia’s constitution contains a two-term limit for the President, something that Morales skirted around by being initially elected prior to the formation of the 2009 constitution, therefore not having his initial term count against his limit. However, given the current state of the democracy in the nation I would argue that this act could serve as the finale to his decade long consolidation of power. Morales returning for a fourth term may not seem all that bad for a nation that has grown economically and politically under his leadership. As of December 2017, the highest court in Bolivia has given him permission to do just that. Despite the results of a referendum held in 2016, Bolivian President Evo Morales has decided to try and run for a fourth term in 2019.
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